Change of Heart
by cocopeanut319
Summary: Starts from the episode, The Beach. Zuko reveals to Azula his plans of joining the Avatar and somehow convinces her to come with him.
1. The Beach

Azula sat on the ragged edge of a cliff, staring at the tranquil seas. It seemed so peaceful, as if the world outside the island didn't exist. It was as if they were in their own little bubble where there was no war going on. She found herself actually enjoying the time she spent with her brother, Ty Lee, and Mai. Of course, she would never admit it to them.

She smirked at the memory of them crashing the party and promptly thrashing the house of that boy. She has already erased his name from her mind. He wasn't worth the space in her brain. A weak, spineless coward like that should be happy that she has graced him with her presence. Idiot. She shuddered at the memory of his lips against hers, cursing herself for her momentary lapse of judgment. She doesn't need him. She doesn't need anyone. Needing others is a weakness. That's what father always told her.

She remembered the conversation she, Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee had earlier that night. She recalled how Zuko said that he was angry. Well, she was angry too but she was strong enough not to show it. She refused to let her emotions get in the way of logic. She sighed at the memory of her admitting to them that her mother thinking she was a monster hurt her. She wouldn't let them know how much though, because what good would it do? It wouldn't change anything. Maybe they would see her as a human capable of feelings. Does it even matter what they think?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching her.

"Zuzu," she acknowledged, not bothering to turn around.

He was shocked that Azula knew it was him without even looking, but then he remembered that this was Azula. Of course she knows.

"Azula," he replied, "What are you doing out here this late?"

He plopped down next to her, taking in the peaceful atmosphere and breathing in the cool fresh air.

"I could ask you the same question," she shot back.

"I asked you first!" he responded childishly, making her smirk. She had always enjoyed annoying her brother.

"If you must know, I just came here to think," she replied.

"About?"

"Things," she answered vaguely, "Now it's your turn. What brings you out here at this time of night?"

"I came here to think too."

"About?"

"Things," he responded.

They sat in silence until Zuko decided to speak up.

"About what you said earlier…about mom…" he trailed off.

Azula scoffed, "It's not a big deal, Zuzu. We all know it's true anyway. I'm a monster."

The casual way in which she said it made Zuko feel a strange need to tell her otherwise.

"I don't think you're a monster."

He saw something flash in her eyes, and just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.

She gave a mocking laugh, "Oh, Zuzu. You're so naive. After everything I've done, even after I tried to kill you on more than one occasion, you still don't see me as a monster?"

"I know that you wouldn't have killed me," he stated simply, "You've never killed anyone before."

"What about the Avatar?"

"I know that you know he's not dead."

She smirked at his perception. Well, she did make it obvious to him that she knew the Avatar was still alive.

"Still doesn't change the fact that he would be dead right now if that water tribe peasant wasn't with him."

"Okay, well, other than that incident, you've never killed anyone, nor have you ever attempted to."

"What are you talking about? I tried to kill you and uncle!"

"I know you wouldn't have," he said with a knowing look, making her blood boil.

"I would have!" she replied, getting agitated. She stood up, clenching her fists in anger. She has always been impatient, just like him, he thought. Maybe it was worth a shot.

He stood up too and repeated more confidently, "I know you wouldn't have, because deep down inside, you care."

She scoffed crossing her arms, "No, I don't."

"Yes, you do. It's just…way deep inside that you barely even feel it," he said with a shrug.

She rolled her eyes, not bothering to deny it.

He took it as a cue to continue, "Contrary to what father always told us, caring doesn't make you weak. In fact, in its own way, it makes you stronger."

"Are you calling father a liar?" she asked darkly.

"Open your eyes, Azula! He has always lied to us! I know you're not stupid enough to believe everything that comes out of his mouth!"

"Shut up!" she screamed, shooting a blast of blue fire into the ocean.

Silence hung between them.

"You think I don't know that? Of course I know that he's always lied to us! He told you he loves you and then proceeds to banish you. Is that what he calls love? He told me he loves me, but he treats me like I'm not even human. I'm just a weapon for him, a tool to conquer the world. But you know what? I don't even care."

"I see the way he looks at me whenever I fail to meet his expectations. That's why I always strived for perfection. Unlike you, I can suck it up and reach it."

He ignored the blatant insult to his flaws, not taking the bait, "Why do you still stay then?"

"Don't you see? He's the only one I've got. No one cares about me. No one loves me. Not even our own mother. Ty Lee and Mai only follow me because of fear. Not because of love. At least Father won't leave me," she ended with a whisper.

"Do you really believe that?"

"Of course not. He'll just throw me away if I fail. That's why I won't."

"Azula…I'm planning to join the Avatar."

She paused at hearing that, "I can't say I didn't expect that. What I didn't expect was you actually telling me."

"Wait…you knew?"

She ignored the question, "I could have you arrested for treason, you know?"

"I know."

"Then why did you tell me your little plan?"

"I don't know," he responded carelessly.

She sighed, "I'm not going to."

'Being on this island is making me soft,' she thought angrily. 'Is there some kind of spell here that I should know about? I need to leave as soon as possible.'

He smiled, as if he already knew she wasn't going to have him arrested, "Come with me."

Azula quirked her eyebrow at that, "And why would I do that, dear brother?"

"Because you have no more reason to stay. You said that father is the only one you've got, that he's the only reason why you stay, but I'm here for you. I'm not gonna leave you. You're my sister, and even after everything that's happened between us, I still care about you. I'm only going to say this once, but I do...love...you," he shuddered at his last sentence.

"Gross," she replied, but the slight twitch of her lips indicated that she was quite pleased with what she just heard.

"So are you in?"

"I suppose. There are some problems though. Do you think the Avatar and his posse would even agree to let us help them? What about Ty Lee and Mai? We can't take them with us. They'll be considered traitors, and I don't want to put them through all the trouble just because of your poor decisions."

"Hey!" he responded indignantly.

"I actually haven't thought that far ahead," he added, rubbing the back of his head.

"Ugh, you're such an idiot, Zuzu," she said, with the tiniest hint of affection in her voice that she would vehemently deny if asked.


	2. The Avatar and the Fire Lord

The group got back from their vacation feeling refreshed. All of them except one. Zuko paced back and forth in the privacy of his room, double thinking his decision of joining the Avatar and worse, telling Azula about it of all people. Maybe she was right about him being a poor decision maker. He growled, kicking a chair over to let out some of his frustrations. He leaned against the wall and slid down, sighing as he covered his face with his hands.

He hadn't meant to let his sister know. It just slipped out. She just seemed so vulnerable at the time, and it was the first time she's opened up to him in a very very long time. He wasn't really expecting her to agree to join him, so to say he was shocked was an understatement. He was happy about it though. A part of him felt like he shouldn't trust her, which was understandable, but another part of him knew he could trust her this time.

Contrary to popular belief, he knew that his sister has a heart. It's just that being raised by their father has hardened her. He was lucky enough that he had a mother who loved him, not to say she didn't love Azula, but she seems to think that their mother didn't love her. He was also lucky enough that his uncle was there to guide him through the years. Azula didn't have any of that. All she had was their father, so of course she would end up being this way. Cold, hard, calculating.

This time is different though. He's here for her now. He'll be the big brother that she's always needed. He felt guilty that it took him this long to figure out that she was just lonely. Scared of being left behind by everyone. That was going to change. He wasn't expecting her to be all nice, rainbows, and sunshine now, because that's not who she is. He just wants her to stop following their father's footsteps, because she's better than that. He just wants her to be free. To be happy.

The problem now was how they would leave. He couldn't just suddenly disappear. Could he? What about Azula? Would she be willing to just up and leave? She already agreed, but what if she changed her mind? So many thoughts were running through his head. It frustrated him to no end. He hated being confused, and right now, he was confused about everything. He had resolved some issues back on Ember island, but he has a _lot_ of issues.

He sighed, thinking it was best to go to bed for now. Maybe a good night's sleep would clear his head.

Later that night, the prince was woken up by a strange sound outside his room. He carefully went to see what the noise was. There was nothing there, except a scroll placed on the floor.

He glanced around suspiciously before taking the scroll and going back inside his room. He opened it and was surprised at what was written inside. It was telling him to find out the truth about his great grandfather's, Fire Lord Sozin's, death. Everyone knew about how he died, it was taught to them, so what was there to find out? Everyone in the Fire nation was supposed to learn that in their history classes.

He closed the scroll and went back to sleep, thinking it could wait until tomorrow.

The first thing Zuko saw when he woke up the next morning was the scroll, laying on top of his side table. He glared at it half-heartedly, knowing there was something about his grandfather's death that he didn't know about. Why would there be a scroll telling him to look into it if it weren't the case? He groaned as he got up, deciding to go check out the gallery of the Fire Lords. He was surprised to see Azula there too.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Oh you know, just staring at the pictures of the dead Fire Lords. The usual," she replied. Zuko wasn't sure if she was being serious or not, so he just shrugged it off.

"Azula," he looked around and after finally deeming it safe enough to continue, he said, "I received a letter last night."

That certainly piqued her interest, "What letter?"

He took out the scroll and unceremoniously shoved it into her arms, making her glare at him. She silently read the letter, quirking an eyebrow at it.

"Well obviously, he died peacefully in his sleep. What part about that can help us understand our 'destiny'?"

"No! There must be something that no one is telling us. There must be something we don't know, something the school's never taught us. We need to find out what really happened."

"And how do you suppose we do that, dear brother?"

"I don't know," he said, running his hand through his hair, obviously annoyed.

Azula took the scroll, studying it carefully. Zuko paced back and forth, frustratedly pulling at his hair.

Something in the note caught her attention. She inspected it thoroughly and finally found something that could help them.

"Zuzu, look at this," she said, waving him over.

He approached her, "What's that?"

"A secret note, I assume."

"Looks like it. So, we're going to the Dragonbone Catacombs?" he asked, feeling hopeful once again.

"Let's go then."

* * *

"Well that was easy," Azula commented in a bored tone.

They were able to sneak past the fire sages with no problems. They didn't even get a chance to fight, and Azula was looking for some action. She was certainly not barbaric, but she wanted to feel the rush from a good fight. Of course they would be of no match to her though, so she supposed it didn't really matter in the end.

"Look at this," Zuko said, showing her an autobiography.

They both sat side by side, reading the contents to finally find out the truth.

* * *

"That's it!? There has to be more!" Zuko said frantically, looking around to see if he missed anything.

"That was stupid. We didn't learn anything new at all," Azula said.

They had finished reading the autobiography of Sozin's life, and there was nothing there that they haven't already learned in school.

"Come on," he growled

"Where are we going?"

"Prison."

* * *

To be honest, Azula had contemplated turning Zuko in, but she couldn't find it in herself to do so. Unlike her brother, she wasn't a traitor. Sure, she lied, more than normal even, but she wasn't a traitor. Well, if she joins the Avatar, that would make her a traitor then. She sighed, hating the feeling of being confused. Unlike her brother, she's not used to being unsure of herself. She was always strong and decisive. She didn't even know why she agreed to join Zuko in the first place. Now, she was going to help her brother and the Avatar bring an end to this war. Why was she even doing this? She's never considered going against her father before. What changed?

They finally reached the Fire Nation Jail. Azula could tell that her brother was mad right now as he stomped angrily towards their uncle's cell. He then burst into the room with her trailing behind him, amused at how easily irritated her brother was.

"You sent me this letter, didn't you!?" he yelled, "What's the point? I already know all of these!"

Uncle Iroh turned around, and Azula smirked at seeing the slight surprise in his face upon seeing her which he quickly hid.

"Nice of you to bring your sister along, Prince Zuko," he stated pleasantly, from the way he said it, it seemed like he really was happy that Azula came along.

"Answer the question!" he shouted.

There was a moment of silence, and the next words that left their uncle's mouth stunned them both.

Avatar Roku…was their great grandfather from their mother's side.

"That is why you have always been conflicted between good and evil, Prince Zuko. And apparently, you have been conflicted too, my niece," he said with a hint of happiness and affection that he had rarely shown her before.

"No one has told us this before," she said easily. She wasn't easily fazed. Of course this was a huge surprise to the both of them, but she knew how to hide her emotions well.

Zuko still seemed to be in shock though.

Iroh took out the lost crown prince's ornamental headpiece and gave it to Zuko.

"The two of you must work together to restore balance to the world," he said with a twinkle in his eye. Iroh hadn't expected Azula to be conflicted too, thinking his brother has already done too much damage to his niece. He was wrong though, and he has never been happier that he was wrong. This was definitely much better than what he expected. He was glad that she was finally on the right path, just like her brother.

* * *

There was a lighter atmosphere between the two siblings as they walked out of the prison.

"Now that that's settled, how are we going to get the Avatar to trust us?" Azula asked.

"I'm not yet sure. Maybe we can save them from the assassin that I hired to kill them. Saving people's lives would usually get them to trust you," he suggested.

"You sent an assassin after them?"

"I didn't know that I would be joining them!"

"Way to go, Zuzu. They're really going to trust us now," she said sardonically.

"Hey! It's not like they know I sent him anyway."

They started to bicker, arguing about how they were going to get the Avatar to accept them into their little rebel group.

That was that then. They were going to join the Avatar. Zuko would never admit it out loud, but he was definitely glad he wasn't in this alone.


	3. The Runaway

Somewhere in the Fire Nation, Aang and his friends are being chased around by a hired assassin a.k.a. Combustion Man. On the other side of the Fire Nation, two siblings, a.k.a the Prince and the Princess, are plotting their next course of action.

Zuko and Azula sat in the garden, talking in hushed voices so that no one would be aware of their plans.

"Do you think we should just leave? Or should we make a scene to publicly signify that we are no longer serving the Fire Lord? When should we even do it?" Zuko asked.

"To be honest, I don't think it'll make much of an impact to Father if we just leave. We couldn't just make a scene either, because then we'll get surrounded and then we wouldn't be able to leave. We have to wait for the perfect moment too."

"We're getting nowhere here! We don't have enough time!" he said, raising his voice slightly.

Azula rolled her eyes at her brother's display of impatience. She can't say she's not used to it by now.

"There are a lot of things to be taken into consideration here, dear brother, and we have to plan thoroughly. We cannot miss out on any details, or else we wouldn't be able to execute this perfectly. Our strategy cannot contain any flaws."

"Maybe we could just wait until he is alone and powerless. Say, during the eclipse?" he suggested thoughtfully once he had calmed down.

"Yes, then he wouldn't be able to strike us down with lightning on the spot," she agreed, "or burn us to the ground," she added as an afterthought.

"I actually learned how to redirect lightning."

"Really? How?"

"Uncle taught me."

"Teach me."

"Let's start training later, just in case. I'll teach it to you then."

"Fine. By the way, the Avatar will be looking for Father during the day of the eclipse," she commented off-handedly, as if it was obvious.

"What!? How did you know?" his voice was rising again.

"It's just logical to assume that they would attempt to fight during the eclipse so that the fire benders would be powerless to fight back. However, they don't know that Father is going to move to another location until the eclipse is over, so their little plan is a waste. Sad, because it's actually well thought out. No one else knows that the Avatar is still alive, other than us of course, so it would be a surprise attack."

"Darn it! We have to stop them. If they go through with this, their cover will be blown!"

"Which is why we have to face Father before or during the eclipse. Once he finds out that the Avatar is alive, he's probably going to banish you again."

"Me? What about you?" the casual way in which she said it grated on his nerves.

"I wasn't the one who took the glory of slaying the Avatar. Besides, Father still has some use for me. Too bad I'm done serving him. I will not allow myself to be used as some sort of tool," she said, looking at her nails. There was a hint of sadness in her voice though. If it were anyone else, they wouldn't have been able to pick up on it. Zuko, however, knew his sister. He knew how much Azula respected and loved their father, but there's only so much abuse a child can take. Yes, he still considered her as a child. Even though she tries to act mature and beyond her years, she was still only fourteen. He still considered himself a child too. They were way too young, yet somehow their experiences has exceeded most people who are older than them.

She felt his stare, and she sighed.

"Look, Zuzu, we don't even know where the Avatar and his friends are right this moment. Even if we did, what good would it do? They don't trust us and wouldn't believe us anyway. Our interference would only serve to make them more hostile and suspicious. I don't blame them, of course. You have been hunting them down and chasing them all around the world for quite a long time."

"I can say the same for you," he muttered.

She continued, making no indication of hearing his remark, "How about during the eclipse, we face Father and tell him off. Then, we'll leave the Fire Nation as soon as possible and go look for the Avatar and take over their group by force."

"…Fine. We can't just force them, you know, and we're not going to take over them. We have to make them trust us," he said.

She scoffed, "Trust is for fools. Fear is the only reliable way. What better way to make them fear us than to threaten them."

"Azula, making people fear you will eventually come back to bite you someday. There has to be trust-"

"Oh spare me, Zuzu. I don't want to hear the words of wisdom that our beloved uncle has spewed upon you."

"Just think about it," he said with a sigh, knowing he's not going to win this argument with her. Of course, being raised by their father all these years, all those lies he put in her head has already been ingrained into her mind. Zuko knows it's not too late though. Azula has actually been making a lot of progress lately, whether she herself realized this or not. Baby steps. After all, it took Uncle about three years to get through to him. And even then, he still betrayed him. He felt a pang of regret and guilt at the memory. Not anymore, he thought determinedly. He knew his destiny now, and that was to help the Avatar bring balance to the world. He will not walk in the wrong path again, nor will he allow his sister to walk in the wrong path either.

"Good. Now let me enjoy my final moments of royalty before we betray our country and live as fugitives," she said, standing up and dusting off the dirt from her robes.

"You don't have to say it like that, but I guess I'll do that too. I want to spend some time with Mai before we leave."

"I understand. After all, the eclipse is only a few days away."

"Yeah," he replied hesitantly. It's not that he's regretting his decision to join the Avatar. He just knew that the road ahead of them is going to be tough, and there are still a lot of things that he's going to have a hard time leaving behind. With a sigh, he got up and went to look for his girlfriend.

Suddenly, it dawned on him that he's going to break Mai's heart when he leaves. He groaned, rubbing his temple. He didn't want to hurt her, but he knew he didn't have any other choice. For the sake of the world, he has to put aside his own feelings.

Maybe he could just write her a letter. That way, he won't have to witness her in pain. That would be cowardly though. But then again, he can't just tell her that he's leaving, because he doesn't want her to get involved. For one, she might have him arrested, then they really wouldn't be able to help the Avatar. Or worse, she might decide to join him, then she'll be considered a traitor and he didn't want to put her through that. A letter it is, then.


	4. The Puppetmaster

"You're doing great, Azula."

"What did you expect? I'm a very fast learner, Zuzu, unlike you."

He rolled his eyes at her, ignoring the insult. He had been teaching her the proper form to redirect lighting. It might come in handy for the both of them in the near future. He hoped that they won't need to use it though.

He looked away from her, focusing back on his own training. He would sometimes stop and check to see how she was doing, and then he would once again resume his own practice exercises.

It was late at night when they started practicing as not to be disturbed by the daytime activities that is required of the prince and princess. They were currently alone in the garden, practicing in secrecy. They sneaked out of their respective rooms, avoiding the guards and servants, to meet up in the garden. They knew they had privacy here, because no one comes here at this time of night. He couldn't help but pause once again to admire the full moon that was shining down upon them, illuminating the garden and adding to its beauty. He once again glanced at Azula, watching her perform the movements flawlessly, as if she hadn't just learned it a few minutes ago.

He can't say that he's surprised at how quickly she got it. She was, after all, a prodigy. Her movements were precise and at the same time graceful as she practiced the form.

She suddenly stopped and sighed, catching his attention and making him stop too.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"To master this skill, I need to have a hands-on demonstration," she said, placing her hands on her hips, a grin slowly spreading across her face.

He doesn't know what exactly she's thinking at the moment, but he knew that he's not going to like it.

"What are you getting at?"

"Shoot me with lightning!" she demanded, getting into the proper stance.

He stared at her blankly, and she stared back, waiting expectantly.

'Has she lost her mind or is she purposely mocking me?' he thought, feeling his unscarred eye twitch.

"You know I can't generate lightning, right?"

"That's not an excuse. Now hit me with your best shot, brother!" she commanded, not moving from her position.

"Are you crazy!? I just said I can't generate lighting, and even if I can, I'm not going to hit you with it!" he growled exasperatedly.

She lowered her shoulders, crossing her arms in front of her, "Then how do you expect me to perfect this if I don't practice it the correct way?"

"We can't do anything about that right now, so just learn the form. It's good enough for the moment."

"Just 'good enough' isn't what I need. What I need is perfection! I will not settle for anything less," she argued defiantly.

He sighed at how stubborn his sister was. 'Is this what Uncle felt like when he was trying to teach me how to redirect lighting?' he wondered, remembering how he had demanded his uncle to strike him with lighting too. He felt a pang of guilt, finally realizing how tough it was for his uncle when he had put him in this position.

"We're probably not going to need to use this anyway so it doesn't matter," he said, hoping to convince her not to do anything stupid like going up a mountain or some other high place while there's a thunderstorm raging, screaming at the heavens to strike her down. He felt pretty stupid thinking back on it now, recalling the time when he did just that. Well, he was desperate!

"Father can generate lightning," she said, "What if he attempts to shoot it at me?"

There it was again. The underlying tone of hurt in her voice that she tries so hard to hide. He can see right through her act though.

"I'm sure you'd be able to redirect it," he answered, confident in her abilities, "and besides, I won't let him do that to you."

She quirked an eyebrow at that, "Oh, you won't?"

"I won't."

She scoffed, "I don't need you to protect me, Dum-dum. In case you've forgotten, I can take care of myself just fine."

He just shrugged. He knew she is very capable of taking care of herself. He doesn't need any more proof of that. He's just not sure if she would be at her 100% if they're facing their father. She might hesitate, and then what? One mistake, and she could lose her life. He's not afraid of his father anymore. However, and as much as she tries to deny it, he knows Azula was still afraid of him. Father had raised her and taught her not to fear. Not to fear anyone or anything…but him.

Their father had also raised Zuko that way, but with everything that's happened, he's learned not to fear him anymore. His uncle had helped him realized that. Now, he was here to help Azula realize that too. She doesn't have to be afraid of Father…no, Ozai…because there were a lot of people out there who really do care about her, such as Lo and Li, Mai, Ty Lee, Uncle, and himself. Azula was just too stubborn to accept that fact.

Azula quirked her eyebrow at her brother's unusual display of protectiveness. He should know that she's strong enough and smart enough to handle herself. Does he think that she would cower under Father's gaze? He has to give her more credit than that. To be honest, however, she's not exactly sure how she's going to react at seeing the disappointment that would surely be written all over their father's face once she joins the Avatar. She would like to think that she would not be affected much by it. She knew that he won't be mad that _she_ betrayed him, but more of the fact that she _betrayed_ him. It doesn't make a difference to him that she's his daughter.

She was also a little insulted yet at the same time touched. Insulted that Zuko thought she's going to be an emotional wreck once they face Father, and touched that he seemed to be genuinely concerned for her. He was the only one who has cared about her. Well, it was only recently that he started actively showing it, but she knew he really did care about her. She never deluded herself into believing that their father actually cared about her. It was just easier to pretend sometimes. There was also Ty Lee and Mai. They seemed to care for her, but at the same time, she knew that the only reason they've stayed this long with her was because of fear. However, there were these genuine moments of friendship between the three of them, and she has actually grown…fond…of them. A little bit. Kind of.

Then, there was her mother, who thought she was a monster. Their mother had always favored Zuko over her, and she couldn't help but imagine what kind of person she would be right now if only their mother stopped for a second to show her some affection instead of always doting on Zuko. Of course, there had been times when their mother had shown her love, but it was easier for Azula to forget about those memories to lessen the pain.

Suddenly, there was a hand waving in front of her face, making her stumble backwards slightly.

"What was that for!?" she yelled angrily.

"You were spacing out," Zuko said, obviously amused.

She growled, "I was not!"

"Were too!" he shot back, not caring how childish they both sounded. He quite enjoyed moments like this with his sister.

"Fool," she muttered, giving him a glare to cover up her embarrassment. If she could fire bend using her eyes, he would probably be on fire right now.

He chuckled at her rare display of letting her guard down. The old Azula would never have spaced out in the middle of training, nor would she have done it in the presence of someone else. He could tell that there was something different about her nowadays. He can see the look on her face sometimes, obviously contemplating something. He hoped that she would be able to resolve her issues, and he hoped that he too would be able to resolve his own issues. Being the grandchildren of the former Avatar and the former Fire Lord who started the war in the first place has seriously messed them up.


	5. Nightmares and Daydreams

Zuko smiled down at Mai, enjoying the feeling of her draped on top of him as they were lying on the couch. He felt a pang of guilt at the thought of taking the smile away from her face once he leaves, not that she actually smiles much, but still. He knew that it would hurt her even though she won't show it outwardly. He hugged her tighter, in a way as an apology for what he was about to do.

She pulled away from him to look at his face, raising a curious eyebrow, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just…happy right now," it wasn't a complete lie. He was, after all, a terrible liar, or so Azula had told him. He really was happy right now. He just couldn't get rid of the feeling of guilt bubbling in the pit of his stomach.

"Whatever you say," she replied in a bored tone, dropping the subject for now. She laid her head back on top of his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat contentedly and snuggling into his warmth. Everyone would be surprised if they ever found out how much she loved cuddling, which is why no one would ever find out, other than Zuko of course. She would rather slit her own throat using her ever-present knives than have anyone find out about her little secret.

She had missed Zuko the entire time he was away during his banishment. She had always liked him, way back when they were kids. Her feelings for him had faded a little bit since then; however, when Azula had recruited her along with Ty Lee to hunt him, his uncle, and the Avatar down, the feelings she had buried deep down inside her heart came rushing back and stronger than ever. She had actually been excited to finally see him again after so long. Now, she was glad that he was once again the Prince of the Fire Nation, a title that he so rightly deserved.

They laid in silence, just enjoying each other's presence.

"Tell me, if you could have anything you want right now, what would it be?" he suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

She thought about it for a while, mulling the answers in her head, before finally deciding, "A big fancy fruit tart, with rose petals on top."

"You know, being a prince and all, I might just be able to make that happen," he replied with a smirk, calling the servants over to gather the said item.

"I guess there are some nice perks that come with being royalty," she said teasingly, "though there are annoying stuff too, like that all-day war meeting coming up."

He suddenly sat up, causing her to pull back from him questioningly.

"What war meeting?"

"Azula mentioned something, and I assumed you were going too," she replied, wondering what was wrong.

"I guess I wasn't invited," he muttered darkly, looking away from Mai. It's not that he actually wanted to go to the war meeting, but it hurt that he wasn't even informed of it. It was as if his attendance was irrelevant. He was the prince, and it was his duty to supposedly be there. However, if they didn't want him there, then why should he bother showing up? He sighed bitterly, feeling his insecurity get the best of him and feeling his pride being bruised. This probably shouldn't bother him, after all, he was planning to betray the Fire Nation soon.

'No,' he thought, shaking his head to clear his thoughts somewhat. He had been determined to stand against Ozai on the day of the eclipse. He cannot doubt nor second guess himself now. He doesn't need Ozai's approval. He doesn't need to go to the upcoming war meeting. It was stupid anyway, he thought, trying to convince himself that he definitely did not want to attend the meeting anyway. 'A little investigation wouldn't hurt though,' he thought, fully intending to have a conversation about it with his sister later.

He felt Mai's arms wrapped around him, making him smile at the gesture. He turned to look at her, a small smile spreading across her face. He leaned into her, their lips meeting in a soft kiss.

* * *

Azula smiled contentedly, loving the feeling of her hair being washed. She was going to enjoy all of the perks that come with royalty before she had to leave with Zuko. Luxury was one of the few things that she was going to miss. She could survive without luxury of course, it's just that she didn't particularly want to. That was understandable, considering she was brought up in royalty. It wasn't really a big deal for her though, because she had already experienced traveling without luxury when she was searching for Zuko and the Avatar. There was also their uncle, but she didn't really make it her mission to hunt him. Anyway, the point is, she was going to make the most of her last few days in the palace.

She felt a presence and opened her eyes to peek at whoever dared disturb her. She just smirked upon seeing Zuko standing there with a scowl on his face.

"Hello, Zuzu. If you've come for a royal hair-combing, I'm afraid you'll have to wait," she knew that he didn't come here for that, but she couldn't resist messing with him. Well, at least she's not trying to kill him anymore, she thought dryly.

"So I guess there's a big war meeting coming up, huh? And apparently I'm not welcome there," he said moodily.

She inwardly laughed, knowing full well that Zuko doesn't really want to go to the war meeting. He was most likely just feeling insecure as usual.

She just said the first thing she thought of, "What do you mean? Of course you're welcome there."

"Oh, yeah? I guess that's why no one bothered to tell me about it!"

She rolled her eyes at him this time, "Don't be so dramatic, Zuzu. You probably weren't invited because it's so obvious that you're supposed to be there."

He looked thoughtful before asking, "Were you invited?"

"Of course. I'm the princess!"

"And I'm the prince!"

"Exactly! So just go to the meeting."

"Forget it. I'm not going to the meeting," he said, turning around to leave.

She sighed, "Zuzu, wait."

He paused, turning to look at her.

"Leave us," she commanded the servants so that she and Zuko can have some privacy, knowing they can't have this conversation in front of the others.

They all dispersed at the command of the princess.

She stood up, walking over to Zuko and stopping in front of him.

"Tell me what's really on your mind. We both know you don't really want to go to the meeting just for the fun of it."

"I want to know what the Fire Nation's next move is. The information could be helpful to us and the Avatar."

"You're right about that, but that's not the reason why you're being so uptight about this, is it?"

He relented, knowing Azula can see right through him anyway, "I just…I thought now that I'm back, things would change. Apparently, I'm still not wanted, and I know that it doesn't matter and that I shouldn't care, but a part of me, a small one, still wants to be at least acknowledged by Ozai."

He ended with a sigh, his shoulders slumping.

She stared at him for a moment before finally asking, "So you're not going to call him Father anymore?"

"That's all you have to say!?" he asked, fuming.

"What am I supposed to say? We both know I'm just going to make things worse if I attempt at saying anything else," she said with a shrug.

He face palmed, "I guess I should thank you then, for not trying to make me feel worse."

"Anytime, Brother," she replied, walking back to her seat and calling the servants to resume her royal hair-combing.

Zuko just rolled his eyes, a vein throbbing in his forehead, before leaving the room.

* * *

Later, Zuko was brooding in his quarters with Mai when a soldier comes up to them.

"Prince Zuko, everyone is waiting for you," the soldier said with a bow.

Mai and Zuko walked over to him, wondering what he was talking about.

"The high admirals, the high generals, the war ministers, and the princess have all arrived. You're the only person missing."

"My dad wants me there?" he asked, surprise evident in his voice.

He shared a look with Mai, who just nodded at him, a small smile gracing her face. He smiled back at her and then followed the soldier to where the meeting was being held.

* * *

"So, how did it go?" Mai aked. She had been waiting for Zuko to finish the war meeting.

"When I got to the meeting, everyone welcomed me. My father had saved me a seat. He wanted me next to him. I was literally at his right hand."

"Zuko, that's wonderful! You must be happy."

They stopped walking and paused in front of a giant portrait of Ozai.

"During the meeting, I was the perfect prince, the son my father wanted, but I wasn't me."

Through the meeting, he was finally enlightened. Any previous doubts that he had about leaving the Fire Nation had vanished, and he was now completely prepared for what the future held.

"Hey, 'Zula!" Ty Lee greeted, approaching the princess with her usual grin, "How was the meeting?"

They walked side by side, "Oh, you know, the usual," Azula replied with a casual wave of her hand.

As they chattered on, Azula couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. Yes, she knew what guilt was. Anyway, she felt a little bad about having to leave Ty Lee and Mai without any explanation. Ty Lee had left the circus to join her in hunting down the Avatar, and she gave up her dreams for her. Now, she was just going to leave and what's worse, she was going to leave to join the Avatar! She couldn't help but find the irony amusing yet at the same time annoying.

Through the meeting, she had realized how power hungry the Fire Nation was. They were willing to go to such drastic lengths to conquer the world. Finally, she had been enlightened. Any previous doubts she had about joining the Avatar with her brother were overcome with determination.


End file.
